Caution: May Contain Nuts

He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.

I never fully appreciated this verse until this recent trouble (what a mild word) with my hip.  As the pain daily grew worse, Timothy finally dragged me to the bed and said, “Lie down and don’t get up.”  With all the work and projects to be done around our home right now, not the least of which being a busy toddler, stacks of moving boxes to unpack, and ministry supplies to sort, this was an extremely difficult thing to do.  But do you know, the Lord sent me to a godly man who knew when to MAKE me lie down… who has continued to make me lie down when I most need it… and my hip is doing much better!!! Praise God for rest, and for the loved ones in our lives who make sure that we get it!

Rest is a blessed and holy gift that we so often forget.  It is easy in any field, especially ministry, to get lost in the many needs of those we serve.  The Lord has been teaching me that there is also a “time to rest”.

Timothy takes a few minutes to enjoy precious Father/Daughter playtime.

As we have made the transition to a permanent, settled life in Africa we have experienced a variety of, hmmm, challenges.  From Monica’s scary illness to the challenges of life in Africa to my immobility issues to the regular hurdles of ministry, we have had a bumpy few months.  However, the Lord’s presence has been with us so clearly and so graciously.  There have been times in my life that I’ve felt Him to be far away… but not now.  With all the challenges at hand, I feel His presence and provision more than ever.  I’ve found that in our most desperate moments, we can find His waters the most refreshing, His grace sufficient to calm our anxieties and worries.